Because we spend much of our time in our homes, we become accustomed to the stains, streaks, and smells that have taken up residence and the dust and dirt in places where our eyes tend not to focus. When our family and friends come to visit, they often notice the blemishes that our eyes easily overlook. What items or areas should we take special note to clean before they arrive, and what can we maybe put off? Here’s a short list to consider.
Clean It Now!
1. Your outdoor lighting and doorways are often overlooked. When you reach your doorway, your main focus is finding your key and getting it into the lock. For your guests, who wait longer on your doorstep, the cobwebs wrapped around your porch lightbulb and the exterior hinges of your front door jump out like a neon sign. Changing lightbulbs, doing a light dusting, or cleaning the exterior surfaces can take your home aesthetics to the next level and really impress your guests.
2. Appliances are another overlooked area when it comes to cleaning up. Appliances used regularly—like the coffeemaker, toaster, and microwave—get passed over when people prepare for their visitors. Prioritizing countertops and surfaces when cleaning may cause people to skip the things on the counters. Another overlooked appliance is your washing machine. With all the water and damp clothes that go through your washer, it becomes vulnerable to mold. Using a mix of white vinegar and baking soda on the hottest cycle available is an easy way to clean your washing machine.
3. You may not notice the smears and streaks on your windows, appliances, and mirrors, but your guests will. Cleaning your windows will not only present a classier and more attractive exterior, but it will also allow more natural light to flow into your home. Your fridge is one of your most used appliances, especially when it comes to your guests. The smears and smudges that don’t bother you will stand out to your guests.
4. Make sure your bathrooms are cleaned, especially if you have a specified guest bathroom. Washing shower curtains, bathroom rugs, and guest towels should be at the top of your laundry list. Shower curtains retain mold easier than nearly any other surface in your home. The more frequently you use the shower, the more frequently you should clean the shower curtain. Of course, if your designated guest bathroom often goes unused, dust can collect more easily. Either way, it is a good idea to clean the fabrics and surfaces in your bathrooms before your guests arrive.
5. You likely think to clean your floors before company arrives, but what about your baseboards? You may be surprised what a difference taking the time to wipe off your baseboards can make. Some areas may not be acknowledged, but your guests are more inclined to see the smudges and dust build up you have overlooked. Even if you don’t have time to clean the baseboards along each wall, be sure to clean them in the bathrooms and guest bedroom.
6. In the same way you rarely look down at your baseboards, you may have neglected to look up at your ceilings. Particularly in guest bedrooms that are rarely used outside of having company or in rooms with high ceilings, cobwebs can accumulate more quickly than you may expect. While you’re looking up, dust your ceiling fans as well.
Clean It When You Can!
1. The smudges on the surface of your fridge are not the only aspect of the favored appliance that your guests may notice. Make sure to clean the inside of your fridge, especially if you have any visible messes. Ensuring that the shelves, racks, and drawers of your fridge are wiped down can increase the visual and health aspects of the interior of the appliance.
2. The interior of your cabinets and drawers should be cleaned at your convenience. Dust in the silverware drawer may be more important to remove than the dust that has collected in the cabinet under the sink. If you have limited time, clean the inside of the drawers and cabinets in the order of most used. Clean the areas most frequently accessed first. That way, if you run out of time to clean all of them, at least the ones the guests are most likely to see are done.
3. If your sink has a garbage disposal, grind up peels from lemons or oranges in your disposal to create a fresh, clean smell in your kitchen. Also, for a good cleaning, a toilet bowl brush works as a great tool to clean the underside of the splashguard. This is one thing that may not have a negative impact if it’s not cleaned, but the positive result of cleaning it may be worth the few minutes it takes to get it done.
4. Other areas to consider cleaning that may not be high on the priority list are under your couch and living room tables. Vacuuming is up to your judgment. If you typically keep your messes in the kitchen or dining room, then you may be able to skip it this time around.
Relax About It!
1. If you have children, you might think hiding every toy in a chest or on a shelf would be imperative to your house appearing to be clean, but anyone visiting you likely knows that you have children. Your time is better spent on the above cleaning ideas than constantly putting toys back in their places when they will not stay there for long. Your company understands that your home is not a perfectly pristine place. While it is not necessary to put every toy away, clearing the majority of them or keeping them confined to a playroom or children’s bedroom never hurts.
2. Cleaning your master bedroom should be lower on your priority list if your visitors will not be spending their time there. If your guests are not staying in your master bedroom, you can skip the detailed cleaning. Making your bed and taking out the trash in your bedroom trashcan are easy fixes to make the room seem clean when you don’t have the time to devote to cleaning that room.
3. The dust on the top of your cabinets, the upper parts of your closets, and storage spaces are other areas that most guests will not comment on or even care enough to look into. However, there is no harm in cleaning those areas and keeping them in shape. If you are using your attic or outdoor shed for storage, you may want to set up a regular schedule for cleaning those walls and corners and making sure that the elements are not wreaking havoc on your valuables.
4. Another aspect of cleaning that you can put off is underneath your fridge. Often, when people replace their refrigerators, they are shocked to see how dirty the floor beneath is. Unless you plan to replace or move your fridge while you have company, this is probably something you can relax about for now. You should clean under your fridge as frequently as you see necessary, but for aesthetic purposes this is not a major issue. P.S. if your company is over 6’2”, consider cleaning the top of your fridge before guests arrive.
There are some things that require immediate cleaning if your company is coming in soon, some things that you can schedule for regular cleaning, and some things you can put off for the time being. Ranking the things that you consider “necessary to clean” will be up to your individual preferences, how long your guests may be staying, and how much they will be interacting with certain areas of your house. Based on your preferences and your priorities, you know what needs to be cleaned. Make sure to handle those tasks before your visitors arrive and understand what aspects of your home your company will notice and which they often ignore. 
Emerald Devereux
Home & Yard Magazine
